English Language
January Entry
AQA GCSE Certificate
Section A
Section B
Paper 1 – 2 hrs
Thursday 8th
January 2015
READING
(Literary non-fiction)
A single text to read
followed by 4 questions.
WRITING
1 writing task from a
choice of 3
(Describe, Imagine,
argue or discuss)
Paper 2 – 2hrs
Wednesday
14th January
2015
READING
WRITING
1 writing task from a
(source based)
5/6 short texts followed choice of 2 based on the
reading material from
by a
section A
question on each.
How to prepare …
Read a variety of texts
• Travel writing
• Autobiography
• Journalism
Revise/Practise:
• When to start a new paragraph
• How to use punctuation accurately
• Varying sentence openings
Summer Entry
AQA GCSE English or English Language
Exam 60% of
GCSE
2 hrs 15 mins
Tuesday 2nd June
2015
Section A
Section B
READING ( non-fiction)
3 non-fiction texts with
a question about each
plus a comparative
question
WRITING
2 compulsory writing
tasks for different
purposes (describe,
persuade, advise …)
How to prepare …
Read a variety of newspaper and magazine
articles on a range of topics.
Revise/Practise:
• When to start a new paragraph
• How to use punctuation accurately
• Varying sentence openings
• Features of different texts
English Literature
EDEXCEL
PAPER 1 –
Understanding
Prose
1hr 45 mins
Monday 18th May
PAPER 2 – Poetry
1hr 45 mins
Friday 22nd May
Section A
Section B
Literary Heritage
Animal Farm
Or
Hound of the Baskervilles
Different Cultures
Of Mice and Men
Or
To Kill a Mockingbird
Extract to analyse plus
Choice of essay question
own choice of extract on a on either Character or
given theme.
Theme or setting
Unseen poetry
Single essay question to
demonstrate
understanding of a key
idea or theme within the
poem
Anthology poems
1st essay exploring a
theme within a named
poem
2nd essay comparing a
given theme in 2 poems
How to prepare…
• My Big Campus
• Past exam papers
Paper 1
• Read the set novels at least 3 times
• Access online revision materials (BBC Bitesize,
Sparknotes, Youtube tutorials)
Paper 2
• Know all the poems well in the Clashes and
Collisions section of the Anthology.
• Learn poetic terms and practise identifying them.
• Revise comparative vocabulary
Equipment
• Highlighters
• Black pens
• Post it notes (when revising)
Support at home
• A quiet space to read/revise
• Discuss the set novels (character/theme/setting)
• Make newspapers/magazines available or
access to online publications
• Discuss news/current affairs
• Ask to have a poem summarised and
explained to you
• Eating breakfast is really important –
particularly on exam days